A Different Choice
by R. Patil
Summary: Beneath Ba Sing Se, a stray thought at the right moment sets Zuko an another path. Now complete. Sorry, only four chapters long.
1. Chapter 1

A Different Choice

Avatar Fanfiction by R. Patil

Author's note: "Avatar: the Last Airbender" is property of Viacom, Nickelodeon, and two gentlemen much more creative than I.

Chapter 1

"…look into your heart, and see what it is you truly want."

_ To leave this place with Uncle, and then capture the Avatar after Azula looses him._

_ To beat Azula at something._

As his sister left, saying "You are free to choose," Zuko readied a kick to help Uncle out of the crystals encasing him. He was surprised when Iroh's voice aborted the move.

"Stop! I can get out of this myself. What I cannot do is accompany you on this choice. You must follow the Avatar and Azula. And you must decide, on your own, what you know to be right."

Before he could argue, the old general barked "Now! Go!" and he was running down a dark tunnel. Racing towards his destiny and terrified of making the wrong decision. What he truly wanted?

_ I want to go home._

Why should he have to choose these things?

He couldn't see where he was going.

_ I want troops and peasants to return to _their_ homes, where it's safe._

Was it so hard to just end a war?

The gravel of the cave floor crunched beneath his feet.

_ I want to rest._

Ahead he saw a green glow. And he had no idea what lay beyond.

_ I want my mother back._

He might have lost his sister and the Avatar. And the water tribe girl.

_ I want _her_ to have _her_ mother back._

Rising into the cavern, he caught sight of the Avatar and the girl blocking Azula's attack.

_ I want to know what's right._

The princess stood off against the pair, each side tensing.

_ I want my honor._

He wouldn't shoot someone in the back, so he announced his presence with a fireball between the combatants. It was also to delay his choice, though he'd never admit it. And now, everyone was waiting on him. Watching him. Judging him based on what he did next.

_ I want my father's love._

Azula hadn't had to fight for that. And the Avatar had his family extinguished.

He looked to the young monk.

_ I want the Avatar to deserve being hunted._

But Azula _had_ promised that Zuko would finally get what he wanted, simply by helping her.

_ Azula always lies._

He didn't fully realizes the thought had happened, didn't hear it, didn't understand the power and implications of it. Not until he saw the look of surprise on his sister's face, which was being lit bright orange by his attack, then disappeared behind her own shield of blue flame.

And then he was fighting for his survival. He didn't have time to think; only to react. He didn't have time to attack; only to turn his own counterstrikes into blocks before they could connect. He didn't have time to catch his breath; only to root as his uncle had taught him. And just as suddenly, the pressure was off, and Azula was fighting her other two opponents at the same time. Zuko had just enough time to think _I've just raised my hand against my sister, princess of the Fire Nation,_ and then he was back to frantically blocking. Again he couldn't mount any offense; the heat and fury before him was too great. He went down on one knee when his foot slipped on some gravel. Still blocking what his sister could throw at him, he managed to catch her wrist after deflecting a sharp, penetrating fire blast. He captured her elbow with his other hand and began to twist. She stepped back around with her rear leg, pivoting on her forward foot. The move let her bring her still-captured arm behind her while her other arm was free. As she brought that hand around to turn her brother to ash, a snaking band of water encased it, and then froze. As she looked toward her other opponents, a pillar of stone swallowed her, encasing her up to the neck.

They stayed that way for a moment, brother and sister looking at each other. Still kneeling, Zuko watched Azula's shock at being beaten turn to contempt, then to satisfaction. His heart froze in his chest and his guts fell out as her eyes spoke one word to him.

_ Traitor._

Somebody said something, but it didn't matter as his actions slowly dawned on him. Then, the voice came through louder. "C'mon! Zuko, we've got to get your uncle and get out of here!"

He thought the girl pulled him to his feet, then with her too a run. Heading back down the same dark corridor he'd come from, he saw only his sister's smiling, accusing eyes.

* * *

Iroh had used intense, focused heat and steady rocking motions to loosen his prison; standard training for firebending troops abroad. He almost wished he _had _let Zuko get him out of there. But no, this was a decision he had to make on his own. His decision could not be a reflection of what his father, or his uncle, or anyone else wanted. _I just hope I'm ready to face him if he sides with Azula _he thought as he freed his arms. Suddenly, the rest of the crystal receded back into the ground. Turning his head, he saw the Avatar, the girl from the Southern Tribe, and, to his joyous amazement, his nephew running out of one tunnel into another. As they made the turn, Aang called "Time to go, sir!"

Though Iroh was patient, older, and portly, when the Avatar tells you to move, you move! He hadn't run so fast since that broken window incident three weeks ago. The energy came easily to him. Zuko had made the right choice! He had finally let go of trying to earn the love of a blind father, let go of the dreams of glory that weren't really his. Iroh ran through the dark tunnel toward daylight, toward a future with new friends, new freedom, and new possibilities. His mind's eye saw himself training the young Avatar in firebending, lively conversation over tea with Toph, laughing at the petty arguments Zuko would get into with the Water Tribe kids.

He knew he was getting ahead of himself. He knew things never worked out as happily as one could dream. But right now he didn't care. There was HOPE!!

* * *

Sokka and Toph had gotten captured, been thrown in the same cell as the Earth King, broke out thanks to Toph's new ability to bend metal (and how cool was _that!?)_, snuck into the throne room, neutralized the perky-gymnast girl, were literally _given_ the bear by the scary-knife-throwing-girl, and were now running toward Appa, with no resistance in sight. In short, things had gone far too easily, and Sokka expected everything to go to skunkbear piles any moment. Of course, he said nothing, lest the universe hear him.

High ceilings, lots of shadows; he knew they were going to get pinched in the great hall. But they got back to daylight unmolested. No cover, running down steps; he _knew_ the Dai Li would hit them here. But they got to Appa alright. Having to wait for Katara and Aang, helping the King and his "bear" (and he couldn't tell which of them was daintier); they were definitely going to be attacked now. But they stood there for nearly a full minute in the setting sun, both kids keeping careful lookout, Sokka from Appa's back, Toph from the ground. Another minute.

Then Katara and Aang came running out of the cave. _Sleetpiss! _They had firebenders on their tail. Before he drew his boomerang, though, Sokka remembered these were his firebenders (or, more like _Toph's_ firebender and his jerkface nephew, but anyway…) The rest of the group scrambled on, the old man looking excited, jerkface looking weirdly frantic, and everyone else just looking tense.

Aang called "Yip, yip!" as he leaped to his usual position on the back of Appa's head. With a couple of giant steps, they were airborne, soon to leave the palace and find a safe place to regroup. They were gonna make it. They were gonna make it! They were gonna… get hit by that huge rock flying toward them!

Yep, the universe could definitely hear his thoughts.

The uncle yelled out "Incoming! Boulder from rear, right, below!" They started to maneuver, but with so many inexperienced riders and no saddle, Aang could only bank cautiously. Fortunately the boulder changed its mind, with Toph's help, and returned, crashing, to the Dai Li who launched it.

The young runaway was itching for better. "C'mon! They've arrested the generals! We've got to get back to the prisons, break out the military brass, use them to round up the Earth Kingdom's armies, and kick some _major butt!_

"No, Toph." Iroh countered. "We've been very lucky so far. We're too badly outnumbered to win an open fight, and we don't know where the generals are imprisoned. Escape is our only chance."

"Uncle! Look!" Zuko was pointing to the ground they'd been standing on a minute before. Everyone who looked over the side saw, amid a hundred indistinct men in green robes and tasseled hats emerging from the palace and tunnel, Azula in a low, wide stance, moving her arms in graceful arcs.

"Everybody back!" The order from the old general forced everyone but the prince away from their vantage point. Simultaneously they were blinded by light and deafened by crack-boom. By the time recovered their vision, they saw Iroh sitting, looking somewhat dazed, and his hair was a bit frizzier than before. Zuko looked back towards their attackers and drew his fists back. Then, at once, he threw them both, launching a huge fireball presumably at his sister. He continued throwing smaller blasts steadily, scattering the Dai Li and keeping them from launching more boulders. On the opposite side of Appa, Katara used her water to rain ice daggers with the same effect.

It was a half-minute before anybody realized they were out of harm's reach. Katara called to Zuko, who refused to let up his assault. "I think we're out of range."

He continued.

"Zuko?"

He continued.

She put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, and nearly got cooked as he spun to face her. Fortunately she blocked his hand upward, making his shot go wild. The look in his eyes was like an animal, trapped in a corner, ready to snap at anything. As he drew back to continue his attack on the girl, his uncle got between them. "Zuko STOP! It's over!" Taking his nephew's shoulders, Iroh repeated, more quietly "It's over."

The wildness fell into a cold despair as he looked from his uncle to everyone else. Then he simply turned his back toward everyone, sat down, and silently looked back at Ba Sing Se. Katara moved to approach him, but was stopped by a gentle hand from Iroh. Everyone but Zuko looked at each other in turn, all letting the events of the day sink in.

"So, what now?" from Toph.

"Our Dad's fleet is still anchored in Chameleon Bay," Sokka suggested. "We should go there."

Another minute of silence. As if trying to get his head around the idea, the deposed monarch said "The Earth Kingdom… has fallen."


	2. Chapter 2

As before, and ever shall be, Avatar, and all characters, events, and nouns proper and improper, are property of Nickelodeon, Viacom, and Brian and Nick.

A Different Choice

Ch. 2

By R. Patil

The ride was quiet, save for some introductions and small talk between Iroh and the Earth King, and Toph's muttering complaints about retreating. Everyone else looked anxiously at each other, or silently into the night. They reached Chameleon Bay sometime before midnight.

The introductions would be awkward and tense, especially bringing two Fire Nation nobles into a Water Tribe war camp. The tribe would have no idea how to welcome the King of Half the World Who Now Had Nothing. And Chief Hakoda would welcome the Avatar and the runaway with the deep humility of a father grateful to his children's brothers-in-arms. But all of that would wait while Katara hugged her father for the first time in three years.

They sat around the fire, eating what they could while briefing the Chief about the new developments. Most of the escapees added their own interpretations, or explained particular points to any who asked. The King could provide little or no information, ashamedly answering "The generals knew" or "Long Feng handled that." Prince Zuko remained silent as a stone. As the meeting adjourned, Hakoda said encouragingly, "So, we still invade on the day of black sun. We just do it with a smaller, more mobile force." This caught Iroh's attention.

"An eclipse?"

Katara filled him in. "Yes. Before the return of Sozin's Comet, there's supposed to be an eclipse. We'd been planning an invasion of the Fire Nation with the Earth Kingdom's armies."

"…when the firebenders are weakest." Iroh nodded approval. "A narrow window, but an invaluable opportunity. Just one question, though." Turning to the King, "Your Highness, did you speak to _anyone_ about the invasion plan? The Dai Li? Long Feng? My niece or her friends?"

A look of utter horror fell down the King's face. He barely whispered.

"I thought they were the Kyoshi."

Silence swallowed them all.

Azula knew. Any move toward the Fire Nation now would be met with a guaranteed trap. They'd lost the Earth Kingdom. They'd lost their chance to strike back. Somehow, when they didn't know their backs were turned, they'd lost the war.

Katara began to cry silently. Sokka stared into the distance, Toph at her own thoughts. Hakoda looked into the fire. Iroh closed his eyes. And Aang--

"No."

--refused to let the despair claim them. "No! We're not beaten yet." He looked at each person around the campfire, and didn't turn away until he met their eyes. "We've still got people willing to fight. We're alive, and like Chief Hakoda said, we're more mobile than a huge force."

Toph tried to break the optimism. "But they'll be _waiting_ for us, twinkletoes! I don't care how mobile we are, walking into twenty legions of storm troopers is gonna' slow us down!"

Aang countered, "Fine! Let Ozai surround his palace with whatever he _wants_. We'll just go somewhere else."

The general raised an eyebrow. "Another target?"

"Ba Sing Se is pivotal to the Earth Kingdom's hope and regaining its armies. Eight minutes ought to be enough to route any Fire Nation forces left to guard the city.

"But the eclipse won't stop the hundred Dai Li that took the city _in the first place._" Katara was as hopeful as Toph.

Fortunately, her brother hesitantly chimed in, "But we've got allies across the world. If we could gather them together, we _might_ have enough manpower to win."

Aang had to keep the momentum building. "Even if we can't retake the city, freeing the generals would put the Kingdom's military back in the game."

Concerned about runaway hopes, frustration, and exhaustion prevailing over cool heads, Hakoda cut the planning short. "Alright, good. So we've got a _rough_ plan. Let's all get some sleep, and approach this in the morning." It was enough to keep the despair at bay. As the friends went to their tents, the Chief got Aang's attention. "We all almost gave in there. That was no small thing you did, pulling us back. Thank you." The monk blushed and dismissed the complement, but Iroh wouldn't let him.

"It's not nothing, Avatar. As long as there is hope, there is the chance for a better life." As the old man headed toward his tent, he called to his nephew, "Don't stay out here too long, Zuko. We've had a big day, and tomorrow will be no different."

Hakoda shared some words with his old friend Batto. The rest left the fire, exhausted beyond words but still not beaten. Only the prince remained, staring at the dying embers.

The cool of early morning had almost receded by the time Toph woke up. She yawned, shoved her usual earth tent back into the Cliffside she pulled it out of, and walked toward the rest of the camp. She was already dressed, seeing as she was too tired last night to take her clothes off, but her hair had come out of its usual bun and she was pretty sure that would scare a few people. She made it a point to scare somebody at least once a day.

The sandy beach made the signals she got fuzzy, but not as badly as the desert. If the sounds and sizes of the vibrations were anything to go by; the rest of the tribe was awake and working, Katara was by the fire, likely cooking, her dad was nearby with Aang and Iroh, the King and his big-butted pet were watching somebody doing something with a canoe, and Sokka was still asleep.

She had almost gotten to the fire and was about to order Sweetness to "bring on the grub" when she felt someone coming toward camp, fast. She thought the footfalls were familiar, but she had only met the Southern Tribe warriors yesterday. She got into a ready stance, just in case. Everyone else stopped to look at the new arrival as he appeared.

"Hakoda!" Oh, it was Sokka's dad's friend, "Butt-something." His voice was urgent, but also hesitant. "It's the Fire Nation Prince."

"He's killed himself."


	3. Chapter 3

Again: Thanks to Nick & Brian, Viacom, and Nickelodeon for letting us all play with their characters. Also, I feel like the pace of each chapter is too fast. If anyone wants to advise me on how to slow it down, I'd be grateful for the input.

A Different Choice, Ch3

By R. Patil

It would take precious time to scale the cliff. Thankfully, Toph and Aang made another earth platform that pulled them up quickly. Batto relayed the particulars to Iroh. From the snippets Katara could catch, her dad had asked Batto to keep an eye on the prince. Zuko sat by the fire 'till late, then went to the cliff.

As the group came to the top, Iroh said "Of course, it's best you didn't move him." His mouth was moving on its own, still speaking reason while his mind was staving off panic. Katara hated to see fear grip the old man like this. He'd always been kindly, even as an enemy.

Iroh and Batto stepped onto the cliff at a run. The others stood in shock. A dozen paces ahead, in front of a small fire pit and surrounded by markings scorched into the grass, lay Zuko, shirtless, with a knife protruding from the left side of his chest. There were also shallow cuts on his upper arms that also looked like writing.

Katara shook herself out of it, realizing she might be needed. Hakoda noted "One stab wound, blade still in there to block bleeding… he could have done a lot worse."

"But if we pull the knife out, he'll bleed to death. And we can't leave the blade in there. And we can't move him without making things worse." Iroh was trying to calmly assess the situation, but each point brought him closer to the edge.

"We'll do our best," the daughter of the tribe tried to assure him as she knelt down and raised her hands. She focused on feeling the flow of water through Zuko's body. Waterbenders had a talent for healing because human bodies were mostly filled with water; thick and muddy, thin and runny, fast and pulsing, slow and diffusing; bearing different loads for different purposes, but _always_ flowing. There was a faint start-stop movement from some of his blood, but she also felt a growing stagnation; a pool of blood and other fluids collecting in his chest. It was interfering with the already wounded heart and was keeping his lung from expanding much. There was more fluid on the upper left, so that part of the lung may have collapsed already. She reported the situation to the young man's uncle, not including the fact that without the spirits, he was done for.

…spirits…

DUH!

She pulled the vial of water from the Northern Spirit Oasis out of her shirt. She had always felt something from the vial as if it were quietly humming because it had a secret. Now she felt the water was dancing, as though it had been waiting for this moment, for the need to arise. The water nearly bended itself out, eagerly accepting her guidance. It swirled as she activated it, giving it that gentle push from being normal water to its more vibrant healing state. The globule became a ring, glowing as bright and clear as sunlight.

She asked Batto to pull the blade out. As he did, she let the water sink into the wound, her hand at opposite sides of the opening. She explained while she worked; "First, we need to close the wounds."

A few moments.

"Now, we'll slowly reopen some of the body's channels, so the fluid pooled in his chest can drain to the right areas." The body had its own systems to fix problems like this; her job was to simply give it a serious boost. Her palms hovered above his body, arms, legs, and head, with occasional slight wrist movements being the only sign she had found and cleared any blockage. Another minute.

As the pool inside him receded, his breathing grew deeper, slower; his lung had re-expanded again. She had to concentrate—if the fluid returned to his system too quickly he might get hurt again. After a few minutes of careful control, the pool had nearly drained. She spoke again. "A lot of the body's energy channels close during injuries. Most of the time that's helpful, but sometimes it's as dangerous as the wound. I'm going to open them a little to start the process, then back off."

Her index and middle fingers traced the meridians, ensuring energy was moving gently and steadily throughout. She narrowed and opened the channels as needed. AS she passed over his head the third time, his eyes fluttered open. He looked beyond them, unfocused. Momentarily they closed again, color returning to his formerly ashen skin. Katara's fingers returned to his body's energy central point just below the navel, completing the operation.

Sitting back, she breathed more deeply and gave the results. "He's asleep. He's going to need a lot of rest and healing, but he's out of danger." The relief that swept over Iroh's face nearly broke her heart. She was even more surprised when the old man, clad in a scraped tea server's robes, standing as straight as a veteran, and with all the personal presence of royalty, got on his knees before her.

"I lost my son nine years ago, under my command at the siege of Ba Sing Se. I thank you, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, for seeing to it that I didn't have to bury another son." He bowed forward, forehead and hands on the ground. She felt proud of herself, but also deeply humbled by the general's display of abject gratitude. She was trying to think of something to say in response that wouldn't cheapen his gesture when her father bailed her out. "Aang, Toph, can you two get him back to camp without jostling him?" Both kids agreed.

They returned to camp, greeted by the stares of every warrior; word had gotten around. Well, except to Sokka, who was eating breakfast. He looked up from his plate to the group; Hakoda and Batto in the lead, Katara and Iroh in the rear, Toph and Aang looking kinda focused, and Zuko lying shirtless and unconscious on a moving table of stone. His keen insight led him to ask, "What'd I miss?"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: As always, the pool belongs to Brian, Mike, Viacom, & Nickelodeon. I'm just playing in it.

* * *

Though they were curious about the Prince's status, the warriors continued about their business; if it was important to their survival, the Chief would tell them immediately. If it wasn't, they'd all have to wait 'till night fall for the gossip to spread. Katara tried to keep monitoring Zuko's condition, but Toph convinced her that she would be a lot more helpful were she rested. So here the four of them were, around the fire again and eating whatever Sokka hadn't gotten to yet.

For a long while they sat, and ate, and thought about what they'd seen. Toph was unnerved by this newest close encounter with death. Heck, she was still unnerved by the injuries Katara's old boyfriend suffered under Lake Laogai. They still didn't know if Jet survived; after beating Long Feng they went back for him. He was gone, as were Smellerbee and Longshot. All Toph could think about now was the feeling of a person's heartbeat and breathing fading, the body approaching stillness. She instinctively scooted a little closer to Sokka.

Aang was trying to understand. He'd seen the bleached bones of his friend and mentor at the Southern Air Temple. He knew that in some fights, if you didn't kill your enemy, you'd lose. He knew that most people who practiced violence killed far more often than was necessary. And he knew there was a spirit world, and that somehow existence continued after death. But he couldn't figure out why someone would throw their lives away. There was always another way. Like Monk Gyatso said; "In any given situation, one possible choice is to go to Omashu. It may not help anything, but it's an option."

He asked the others "I don't get it. Why would someone end their own life?"

"Honor." Sokka responded quietly. He'd asked Iroh what the symbols from earlier meant. They were an old Fire Nation script; in fact it looked like Zuko tried to reenact an ancient ritual, once used to restore a disgraced noble's honor, and outlawed for nearly two hundred years. The marks on the ground listed his failures; the marks on his arms were the names of those he felt he'd disgraced. "He's a traitor to his country, a traitor to his family, _and_ he failed to complete his mission. That much shame is something a warrior can't bear. To him, death is better."

"So he leaves his uncle to grieve?!" snapped Katara. "It sounds like selfishness to me."

* * *

He felt safe. And warm

He savored the sensation for a few moments, and then surrendered again to sleep.

* * *

He didn't open his eyes at first. Just tried to enjoy the sensation. The warmth. The soft blanket, the crackling fire, the surf pounding gently nearby. Hmm... he'd always heard the spirit world was supposed to be beyond earthly sensation. Maybe this was some kind of transition, a way for the newly-dead to acclimate? Oh, right. Opening his eyes might give him some answers.

Heavy cloth. A sail? A tent. Ahead of him, but he couldn't tell how far. He reached out for it, found raising his arm hard. So he must be lying on his back and reaching up. Before his fingertips could brush the fabric, a pair of short, somewhat calloused hands grasped his gently. They were comforting, but the scratchy voice was uncertain.

"Zuko?"

Just to his right, Uncle's face came into focus, concern and worry etched into every line. But why should Uncle worry; they should be free here. Come to think of it, what _was_ Uncle doing here? He shouldn't be dead yet. Something wasn't adding up.

"Uncle, where are we?"

"Safe. And with friends."

That was an evasive answer, even for Uncle.

"Am I dead?"

Uncle's face was heartbroken. After a long pause, he answered "No."

Exhaustion overtook Zuko, and he surrendered unconditionally.

* * *

Two days passed. The camp learned of the Prince's revival. Nobody called it "recovery," since he took only the barest of food and water, only left his tent for his body's necessities, and said nothing at all. Iroh had agreed to join the Avatar and serve as his firebending instructor. The camp was preparing to break, and various groups were planning to rally the Avatar's allies and rendezvous in three weeks' time.

Hakoda promised himself he would have a serious talk with his children about respecting others' privacy. In the meantime, he wished his daughter would get her elbow out of his ribs so he could concentrate on what the general and his nephew were saying.

"...protected the town, and they _still _turned on me the moment they found out who I was." The young prince was speaking loudly now, and seemed to only be picking up steam. He even interrupted his uncle.

"Then-"

"Where would you have me go? The Earth Kingdom despises me, even when I help it, I took an old woman hostage at the South Pole, attacked the defenders of the Moon Spirit at the North Pole, and shamed my own home long before I betrayed it."

"Zuko-"

"_Why didn't you let me die?!_ This world doesn't want me in it; who am I to argue?!"

"_I _want you in it! And so did your mother!"

A pause when Zuko was too stunned at her mention. Iroh continued more quietly, and forcefully. "Did you forget what she gave up so that you would live? In throwing your life away, you would have let her sacrifice mean _nothing._"

A dark silence followed. As footsteps approached the tent flap, everyone scattered. They all had the courtesy to pretend to be doing something else; Hakoda following Aang and Katara's fascinated gases to a completely blank patch of sky, while Toph had pulled Sokka by his bone necklace down to her eye level threateningly. But Iroh didn't notice, he simply walked slowly to the sea.

The kids resumed getting Appa's bath ready, while Hakoda went back to the ships, and the knowing, slightly reproachful look of Batto.

* * *

Night had fallen, and Uncle wasn't back yet. Zuko's thoughts had been tied up since they argued.

He remembered what Azula told him about Father sacrificing him to appease Fire Lord Azulon's wrath.

_Dad's gonna kill you._

That smoldering, quiet, vicious smile.

_No, really. He is._

He's since told himself; _Azula always lies._

Later that night, Mother came into his room, wearing a traveler's cloak and saying goodbye. He wasn't old enough or awake enough to understand. He woke the next morning unsure if it had been a nightmare. He searched the palace for her, but always came to empty rooms and unknowing servants. When he asked Azula, she said only "Mother valued _your_ life more than her own." The words came with the usual subtle menace and implied promise of suffering, but there was something else that shook him; her slightly unsure posture, a look that was _almost _in her eyes, the ghost of something so **un-**Azula like, that something had to be horribly wrong.

Zuko had never had a warm and loving relationship with his father. It mostly centered on trying to avoid the man and find the more comforting company of his mother. Someday, he'd make Father proud. None of that mattered now, though. He found him in the gardens Mother frequented, standing solemnly next to the water.

"Where is she?!"

Ozai didn't turn, didn't even start as his son yelled at him for the first time. Only after a few minutes did he speak, and he began so quietly that Zuko thought he was talking to himself.

"Gone. And we'll never see her again in this life." Turning his head to look at his son, he added, "I hope you're worth it."

No more was ever said on the matter.

He missed her.

She called him inexorable. It took a while for him to ask what that meant. She said "However many times it falls, the sun always rises again. And so do you."

These days he heard no praise for his diligence. Uncle only ever told him to stop, to rest, to enjoy the simpler pleasures. And Father took each fall as a personal insult. Every stumble, every misstep was a crime Zuko was accountable for.

_Why can't I get anything right?_

It would never be enough.

_I feel like I let everyone down._

Father... Uncle... Mother... Mai...

_If I had stayed I would have known it wasn't Suki, and none of this would have happened._

If he had just... Wait, who's Suki?

"Sokka, you can't blame yourself for _everything_. You're just one man."

Oh, some of that conversation was outside the tent, not in his head.

"But Dad, if I'd stayed-"

"You had no reason to. You can't see the future, none of us can."

"I'm supposed to be the smart one. I feel like I should have seen this coming, or seen a way around it, or... something." He sounded defeated.

"Son, we can only do the best we can with what we've got. You've used your talent, your cunning, to keep the Avatar and your sister safe, and you've had whole armies hunting you. You've pulled off more than a few victories against all odds. When you have had setbacks, you kept at the problem until it was solved. And you came back to me alive. I couldn't be prouder to call you my son."

_Is this what fathers say?_

"Now, come on. Let's quit worrying about what might have been and focus on what will be." The sound of retreating footsteps left the Prince alone again, surrounded only by darkness and his thoughts.

* * *

As they walked away, Hakoda and Sokka shared a conspiratory wink. And a tear.

* * *

Iroh returned to camp as the others prepared for bed. When he reached the tent, the flap opened. "Zuko?" Everyone else turned to look.

The prince walked slowly out, turning toward his uncle. He looked like he awoke from a nightmare or had just returned from being lost in the desert. When he spoke, it was with great effort, as someone who didn't quite know how to speak.

"Uncle? Father... betrayed me... didn't he?"

Iroh was saddened by the painful simplicity. "Long ago."

Zuko turned away, walking toward the shore. His eyes stared far away, not seeing the warriors around him. He didn't even stop at the large fire pit; his bare feet walked across the dying embers with no effect. He didn't stop until the tide lapped at his feet, the cold water splashing him back awake. Looking to the horizon, something boiled up within him. His head rose, he drew a breath, and as he shouted, every campfire and torch leaped up in chorus.

"I FOUND THE AVATAR!!"

Everyone held their breath. Batto was sure the kid had lost it for good, and they'd have to find a monastery to dump him in.

When he turned back, his steps were sure, his posture straight and regal, and his eyes were as determined and focused as they'd ever been. And every step back, those eyes were trained directly on Aang. Katara, Sokka, and some of the other Water Tribe assumed defensive stances.

Stopping within a few feet of the young monk, the prince said "Avatar."

...and kow-towed with all the poise his Uncle showed earlier.

"My great-grandfather, Firelord Sozin, ordered your people hunted to extinction. For that, I am sorry." He sat up, then lowered his head again. "I have hunted you, and endangered people you care about, since your return. For that, I am sorry." He sat there, silent, forehead on the ground, unmoving. After a moment, Aang ventured,

"Um... that's okay."

Seemingly satisfied, the prince turned to Katara and Sokka. "I attacked your village, held one of your tribesmen hostage, and have never shown you your due respect as warriors. For that, I am sorry." He bowed again.

"We accept your apology, Prince Zuko." Katara shot her brother a death-glare before he could add a snide comment to her dignified response.

Zuko turned to the next person. "I have... not met you, have I?"

The short girl tilted her head. "Not formally. Toph." She waived.

"Zuko." He waved back. Then he returned his attention to the Avatar. "I hunted you in the belief that I could regain my honor in my father's eyes. I know now that my father understands nothing of honor. He is a bully, who scarred and banished his own son for talking out of turn. The means by which he came to the throne are also in question. He is unfit to be Firelord, and with your permission, I would like to join you." His head wasn't on the ground, but his eyes were cast to Aang's feet.

Standing, the younger boy switched into "The Avatar" mode-his solemn look and voice he put on when he thought what he was about to say would get recorded on a scroll somewhere-put his fist into his flattened palm, and bowed. "Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, I accept your apology, and gladly welcome your company on our quest."

Zuko stood again, returning the Avatar's bow and salute.

Then both boys raised their heads and looked at each other.

After a moment of awkward silence, a slightly unsure Zuko said "So... now what?"

Of course, Sokka had the idea. "Now, we celebrate! Hey Katara, do we have any more of that candied gingerplumb left?"

"No, Sokka, you ate it all." Zuko guessed by her tone that she said stuff like that a lot to her brother.

Then the chief piped up. "We've got a few sea prunes left." Aang grimaced, and tried to subtly signal to Zuko the dish was as tasty as it sounded.

Then Toph said something, which was met by a proposal from Uncle for tea, and so it went.

Tomorrow, he would help reduce the supplies so Appa could carry his added weight. He would come to like Toph's forwardness, and only learn she was blind after he tossed a pack at her head. He would try to give his dagger to Chief Hakoda as a gesture of thanks, which the Chief would refuse, saying a good dagger was invaluable, and that ensuring Sokka and Katara's safety would be thanks enough. Tomorrow, he would expect dark days ahead.

Tonight, he was content to know he had made the right choice.

* * *

_Finished on a rainy night in __Xi'an__, __China__._

_Sorry for the delay. Had moving and connection issues. And I still haven't figured out formatting on this thing, so I apologize for any difficulties this has caused. Constructive criticisms, particularly regarding pace, are always welcome._


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